U.S. Says Iraqi Soldiers Ordered to Commit Atrocities Wearing American-Like Uniforms

AP ^ | 3/6/03 | Robert Burns

[Texas Mom]

I can't remember all the details but it had something to do with the Army changing to the Black Beret and had ordered them from China..

I know there is a Freeper around here someplace that remembers the details.

[Uncle Jaque]

RE: "They put the media through training to be able to be with the front line troops so the truth could get out!

CBS, NBC, CNN, ABC,... Are you really expecting any "Truth" to get past these Komrades? My; aren't we optomistic today!

We can hope, i suppose, that FOX News might smuggle a little reality through to us - other than that we might rely on some "unofficial" observations close to the action in the form of EIB Listeners and /or fellow FReepers, some of whom we understand wear the Uniforms of the Free and Rightous - Legitimately!

Speaking of which, has anyone heard from "Diogenesis"(?) lately? He used to post the most facinating "GOTTA SEE" Threads from Afghanistan etc., but he seems to have dropped out of sight about a month ago. I hope he's OK; wonder if he got orders from above to belay the unauthorized Journalism or if he just got real buisy over there. Either is possible, I suppose.

[Uncle Jaque]

RE "Special ID"; Yup; I think I have a pretty good idea just what you are talking about there, Bud.

But I'm not even going to speculate "on the air" here, because for all I know I might be pretty close to being right.

We'll talk about it after the War's over, eh?

Do take care over there, keep your head down and make every round count; We're rooting - and praying for you.

HUO-Rah!; ROLL ON!

Uncle Jaque, USA 1967-70; 95Bravo

[TADSLOS]

Just one sample of ways to obtain U.S. uniforms:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2162487185&category=36068"

Multiply this thousands of times in surplus stores, newspaper ads and garage sales. Any Iraqi in the U.S. can mail these back.

[Uncle Jaque]

Re the berets; I was really steamed about that, and even though I was not a Ranger, wrote and called both Senators and let them know just how I felt.

Not only were the Rangers subjected to a cowardly and malicious (not to mention completely undeserved) put-down, but the people I spoke to at the Senator's Offices had no clue about the Military Historical significance of the black flag or headgear. Nor do I think they much cared.

As to the "Made in China" atrocity (several American producers apparently underbid the Chicoms but were passed over anyway - can you smell a BRIBE? I sure did and let them know about it, too!)another concern I had was that fabric could easily be impregnated with a biological Agent (sort of like those smallpox blankets "issued" to a certain Indian Tribe one winter out West in the late 1800's). I wondered if these spiffy black berets would come with a little tag that read in Mandarin script; "Put this on and DIE, you Imperialist Yankee Dog!"

Wouldn't it have broken Klinton's heart when the whole US Army got sick and died? He'd have probably been moved to call Monica back into the Office to help him console himself, don't you suppose?

Thankfully I wasn't the only concerned Citizen to weigh in on that, and America got to supply it's own to a certain extent. Didn't we still have to pay the Chicoms million$ to get out of the contract?

Whoever that pencilnecked political hack desk-bound straw-stuffed bayonet-dummy sorry excuse for a "General" who came up with that "self-esteem" bullwhistle in the first place ought to be busted to Buck-Jerk Last Class and reassigned to permanant Latrine detail...

In a Ranger Battallion!

HOU'-Rah!

[Uncle Jaque]

Re the distinguishing "features" of Iraqi pretenders:

I rather think that anyone dressed up in a US Military Costume (they are only "Uniforms" when worn by the legitimate warriors, IMHO) packing an AK-47 might be somewhat suspect.

Do the French produce any small arms that look like the M-16 (or whatever varient our Guys are using over there)? That could be a problem.

I missed out on VN (Went to Korea instead just before the Pueblo was taken - but that's another story) but many of my Buddies who had seen action over there related as to how they often took a captured AK with them instead of "Jammin' Jenny" when they went out on LURP or RECON Patrols far into the boonies; they were much more reliable and the 7.62MM round penetrated jungle foliage much better than the 5.56.

But when operating in Theater closer to other Friendlies they would switch back, as the green muzzle flash and "double" report of the AK was sure to bring a storm of "friendly" whoop-arse down on them as soon as they opened up with an AK. Even then a lot of the Jungle-Wise Grunts packed a 12-guage pump or horse-traded the RVNs for M-14s, grease-guns(Mark 3/A-1)or even Thompsons, as heavy as those were to lug around. Almost anything was more reliable in a firefight than a plastic "Jenny".

We understand that the system has been much improved since then, for which we are glad. To this day I am no big fan of the 5.56MM for anything other than popping woodchucks or prairie dogs - but that's just an old Soldier's opinion for you.

[Uncle Jaque]

Re "It would be nice" -

One of my former Messmates who had been in 'Nam (and had the bulletholes in his leg to show for it) related as to how as they over-ran some NVR positions, this one tall white guy with long, blonde hair jumped out of his hole with his hands up and shouted; "Hey, man; don't shoot! I'm an American; from California!"

"The H@!! you are, you MXXX FXXXer!!!" roared back one big black Grunt, and without any furthur discussion emptied a full magazine sideways from his M-16 accross the Surfer-Dudes belly, sawing him in half before his remains hit the mud. They left both halves of him there to rot.

Sounds like appropriate Military Justice to me... but then that was before we had "Sensitivity" in the US Army, you know.

[Uncle Jaque]

Re the "Prisoner Status" of Enemies in posession of gear/posessions;

I rather think the Turks, say what we will about their politics of late, have a long Military tradition of discouraging that sort of thing which even the US Marine might take pause to admire.

Just aks anyone who has ever messed with them... if you can find any alive.